Pelargonium plant named ‘PEQZ0043’

ABSTRACT

A new Pelargonium plant named ‘PEQZ0043’ particularly distinguished by the rose pink with a reddish pink splash pattern colored inflorescences held above the medium-green foliage, very heat and drought tolerant with continuous color through the most extreme summer heat, and exceptional edema tolerance on a well-branched plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Pelargonium interspecific.

Varietal denomination: ‘PEQZ0043’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium interspecific, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘PEQZ0043’.

‘PEQZ0043’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar ‘PEQZ0043’ has rose pink flowers with a reddish pink splash pattern held above the medium-green foliage, very heat and drought tolerant with continuous color through the most extreme summer heat, and exceptional edema tolerance on a well-branched, compact, freely flowering plant.

‘PEQZ0043’ originates from a hybridization in a controlled breeding program made in April 2013 in a greenhouse in Guatemala. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary plant of P. interspecific parentage, identified as ‘11337-4’ with larger but fewer rose splash florets and was larger than ‘PEQZ0043’.

The male parent of ‘PEQZ0043’ was an unpatented, proprietary plant of P. interspecific parentage, identified as ‘11334-2’ with very light pink and had splash colored florets. The male parent was more spreading than ‘PEQZ0043’. The resultant seed was sown in September 2013 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.

‘PEQZ0043’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in January 2014.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘PEQZ0043’ was accomplished when vegetative stem tip cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the February 2014 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in May 2014 in Gilroy, Calif., and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘PEQZ0043’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘PEQZ0043’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar has not been applied for. ‘PEQZ0043’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effective filing date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘PEQZ0043’ directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Pelargonium as a new and distinct variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘PEQZ0043’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type. The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1, 3 flowering plants of the new variety and in FIG. 2, a close-up of an inflorescence.

The plant descriptions, measurements, and photos were taken in Gilroy, Calif. in December 2017 under natural light. These plants were approximately 10 weeks old and were grown in a 4.5 inch pots, in a greenhouse trial.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 20015.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘PEQZ0043’ AND A MOST SIMILAR VARIETY ‘PEQZ0017’ (U.S. Plant ‘PEQZ0043’ Pat. No. 28,711) Floret size: Smaller Larger Floret petal color: Rose pink with reddish Lighter pink with pink splash splash Plant and leaf size: Smaller plant and leaf Larger leafier plant Flower number: Lots of flowers Less flowers

-   Plant:     -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Compact, upright plant with smaller             flowers that is heat and drought tolerant with continuous             color through the most extreme summer heat, edema tolerance,             and freely flowering.         -   Plant height.—12-14.0 cm.         -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—17-19.0 cm.         -   Plant width.—22-24.0 cm. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—15-18 days at about 22             degrees C.         -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—21-23 days at 22             degrees C.         -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.         -   Color.—RHS N155B. -   Foliage:     -   -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 141B.         -   Immature leaf, lower surface.—RHS 138B.         -   Mature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 137A.         -   Mature leaf, color lower surface.—RHS 137C.         -   Variegation of the leaf blade.—Absent.         -   Length.—4.5-5.0 cm.         -   Width.—7.5-8.0 cm.         -   Shape.—Cordate to orbicular.         -   Base shape.—Cordate.         -   Apex shape.—Truncate to emarginate.         -   Margin.—Dentate to undulate.         -   Texture upper side.—Hirsute.         -   Texture lower side.—Hirsute.         -   Leaf zonation color.—None.         -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 137C.         -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 137C.         -   Pattern of veining.—Palmate.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 137C.         -   Petiole length.—6.4-11.0 cm.         -   Diameter of petiole.—0.2-0.25 cm.         -   Texture.—Pilose, hirsute, glandular hairs. -   Stem:     -   -   Quantity of branches.—5-6.         -   Color of stem.—Between RHS 144B to RHS 144D.         -   Length of stem.—3-4.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.5-0.7 cm.         -   Length of internodes.—1-1.3 cm.         -   Texture.—Sparsely hirsute, pilose, glandular hairs. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 137D.         -   Length of peduncle.—7-10.0 cm.         -   Peduncle diameter.—0.25-0.35 cm.         -   Texture.—Hirsute, glandular hairs. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Color of pedicel.—RHS 137D turning to RHS 61A.         -   Length of pedicel.—2.0-2.4 cm.         -   Texture.—Sparsely pilose, glandular hairs. -   Bud (just before opening):     -   -   Color.—RHS 57C and RHS 53A.         -   Length.—2.0-2.3 cm.         -   Width.—0.8-1.0 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Umbel; semi-spherical or nearly semi-spherical.         -   Lastingness of individual flowers.—7-9 days at 18° C.             temperature.         -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—7, with 5 immature             umbels and 2 mature.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Umbel diameter.—6.5-7.5 cm.         -   Umbel depth.—4-5.0 cm. -   Corolla:     -   -   Form.—Single.         -   Number of petals.—5.         -   Diameter of flower.—4-4.3 cm.         -   Depth of flower.—1.5-2.0 cm.         -   Color upper petals, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 67C.         -   Color upper petals, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 62A.         -   Length of upper petals.—2.6 cm.         -   Width of upper petals.—2.2 cm.         -   Color lower petals, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 67C with             RHS 45A splash.         -   Color lower petals, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 67D.         -   Length of lower petals.—2.5 cm.         -   Width of lower petals.—2.3 cm.         -   Petal shape.—Obovate to orbicular.         -   Apex shape.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Petal texture.—Papillose on both surfaces. -   Calyx:     -   -   Number of sepals.—5.         -   Color of sepals.—Between RHS 144A and RHS 144B.         -   Length of sepals.—1.1-1.3 cm.         -   Width of sepals.—0.3-0.5 cm.         -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate to linear.         -   Apex shape.—Apiculate.         -   Margins.—Mostly fused.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.         -   Lower surface.—Glandular hairs, hirsute. -   Reproductive organs: -   Gynoecium:     -   -   Pistil.—1.         -   Length.—0.8-1.0 cm.         -   Style color.—Closest to RHS 53B.         -   Style length.—0.3 cm.         -   Stigma color.—Closest to RHS 53B.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 144A.         -   Ovary length.—0.4-0.5 cm.         -   Ovary diameter.—0.2 cm. -   Androecium:     -   -   Number of stamens.—8-10.         -   Color of filaments.—RHS 67C with RHS NN155D basally.         -   Length filaments.—0.5-0.8 cm.         -   Color of pollen.—Orange.         -   Amount of pollen.—Moderate. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Pelargonium plant named ‘PEQZ0043’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 